The Manager's Playbook

Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to explain why real artist management starts with protecting the person before the music.

In this clip, Muyiwa breaks down his people-first approach to managing Tems, why mental, spiritual, and physical well-being come before strategy, and how shared vision shapes the team’s decisions.

He also gets into Tems’ RCA license deal, music ownership, master reversion, rollout strategy, Coachella with Justin Bieber and Wizkid, artist branding, authenticity, and building a sustainable company beyond the illusion of success.

A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about artist development, ownership, and the business behind global music.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHA

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

In this episode:
00:00 Music as a Vehicle
00:22 People-First Artist Management
02:57 Team Alignment and Shared Vision
04:39 Music Ownership and RCA License Deal
05:33 Rollout Strategy and Surprise Drops
07:09 Coachella With Justin Bieber and Wizkid
11:10 Artist Narrative and Brand Building
14:11 Authenticity, Fame, and Artist Development
16:17 Saying No and Staying Aligned
19:55 Real Success and Long-Term Business

Tems’ manager and partner Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the strategy behind building Tems into a global music star.

Muyiwa shares his people-first approach to artist management, why Tems’ team prioritized ownership over quick checks, how they structured their RCA license deal, and what it takes to build an artist career that can grow beyond music.

This conversation covers Afrobeats, African music, artist management, music ownership, branding, fan engagement, publishing, label infrastructure in Africa, and building a global artist ecosystem without losing the vision.

A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about the business behind global music.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it.KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://form.typeform.com/to/JNELnGw9?utm_source=xxxxx&typeform-source=bit.ly#fbclid=xxxxx&gclid=xxxxx

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ET

In this episode:
00:00 Afrobeats Money Mistakes
01:24 People-First Artist Management
04:17 Ownership Over Checks
06:57 Coachella With Justin Bieber & Wizkid
10:59 Branding and Artist Narrative
19:45 Diversifying Beyond Music
24:59 Why Fans Buy Into Movements
26:48 Fan Engagement in the Experience Era
40:42 Afrobeats, America, and Global Crossover
43:33 Why Labels Need Infrastructure in Africa
44:22 Why Artist Managers Are CEOs Now
50:51 Building Tems From Scratch
54:11 Partnerships Over Transactions
01:07:41 The Weeknd Blueprint, Equity, and Ownership
01:10:20 Funding Independence
01:11:36 Publishing Advances and Admin Deals
01:23:56 Omah Lay Split and Deal Fix
01:32:48 Artist vs. Entertainer Focus
01:34:39 Faith, Purpose, and Staying Grounded

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to talk about the balance between being the artist and being the CEO of your music career.

Matt explains why thinking about ROI, TikTok hits, or business strategy while writing can hurt the song and why he has learned to separate the creative process from the business side.

He also breaks down testing songs on TikTok, revisiting hooks, preparing for headline tours, protecting his voice, delegating on the road, and building a team culture rooted in trust, kindness, drive, accountability, and initiative.

This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives who want to understand how to build a real artist business without losing the creative centre.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down how independent artists can make content that actually moves the music.

Matt explains how he built a short-form content system around TikTok hooks, emotional targeting, teaser windows, and fan data, including writing 15 hooks per song with his managers and focusing on the first 2-3 seconds of every video.

He also shares how he built a 300K-400K SMS/email fan list through Laylo, pre-saves, tour pre-sales, and a “text me” number in his Spotify bio, helping create a reliable first-day streaming baseline without depending only on playlists or the algorithm.

This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives who want to understand how content strategy, direct fan data, and emotional storytelling can turn attention into real career leverage.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down the real business behind touring as an independent artist.

Matt explains how he used short-term distribution deals to fund touring and releases, why he kept ownership of his earlier songs, and how opening for artists like Train, Teddy Swims, Alec Benjamin, and Lauv helped grow his audience.

He also talks about losing up to $140K on opening slots, turning live performance clips into streaming growth, and how “Let Em Go” jumped from around 90K to 600K daily Spotify streams.

This conversation also covers catalog ownership, touring ROI, front-of-house relationships, performing with no soundcheck, and why opening slots can be one of the best ways for artists to build leverage.

For independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives, this is a practical look at how touring can create value beyond the nightly settlement.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Matt Hansen went viral overnight after posting a one-take Frank Ocean “Godspeed” cover in a parking garage.

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Matt joins Mauricio Ruiz to talk about what happened after the viral moment: going from 500 TikTok followers to 500,000 overnight, getting immediate major label interest, taking meetings alone while still at UCLA, and learning how to protect his leverage as an independent artist.

Matt also breaks down finding the right managers, using data to guide his cover strategy and branding, building a “mini label” around himself, staying independent through distribution, and investing in touring even when the early numbers did not make sense on paper.

This conversation is for independent artists, managers, music marketers, and anyone trying to understand how a viral moment can turn into a real music career.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiA

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Matt Hansen went from posting TikTok covers to building a billion-stream independent music career.

In this episode of The Manager’s Playbook, Matt joins Mauricio Ruiz to break down how a one-take Frank Ocean “Godspeed” cover in a parking garage took him from 500 followers to 500,000 overnight, sparked major label interest, and forced him to learn the music business fast.

Matt opens up about staying independent, finding the right managers, building a mini-label team, using distributor deals to fund growth, losing money on tour, turning opening slots into content ROI, collecting fan data, and separating CEO mode from artist mode.

This conversation is for independent artists, artist managers, music marketers, aspiring music executives, and anyone trying to understand how a viral moment can become a real career.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it.KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://form.typeform.com/to/JNELnGw9?utm_source=xxxxx&typeform-source=bit.ly#fbclid=xxxxx&gclid=xxxxx

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ET

Topics include: TikTok music strategy, artist development, touring, opening slots, distributor deals, catalog ownership, fan data, songwriting, content strategy, and Matt’s debut album Orchid.

Listen to more episodes of The Manager’s Playbook wherever you get your podcasts.

How The Manager’s Playbook Became Music’s Insider Podcast

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz shares why he created the podcast and how it became a way to give music industry knowledge back to the community.

Mauricio talks about stepping away from artist management, wanting to build his own IP, and turning private “inside baseball” conversations into a public platform for artists, managers, executives, and creatives.

He also shares how the podcast started with Troy Carter as the first guest, why Toronto is at the heart of the mission, and how Erica and Mel helped build the show through trial and error.

This one is for artists, managers, aspiring music executives, and anyone trying to understand how the music business really works.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpX71F9JklAmZAEdXsRKA?si=877g60VXRImVmjV0j-ud6A

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Topics include:
The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz, Troy Carter, artist management, music business, Toronto music scene, building IP, podcasting, music executives, independent artists, publishing, content strategy, and giving back to the community.

When Is an Artist Ready for a Manager?

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz breaks down what artists and managers should understand before working together.

Mauricio talks about why management is rooted in value, trust, communication, and the ability to sell a vision. He explains how a sales background can help managers build thick skin, ask better questions, read the room, build rapport, and turn conversations into real next steps.

The conversation also covers creative ways artists can build teams when cash is limited, including offering points on masters, as well as basic music publishing concepts like songwriter share, publisher share, mechanicals, performance rights, and sync.

This one is for artists, managers, and aspiring music executives trying to understand how to build real relationships in the music business.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpX71F9JklAmZAEdXsRKA?si=877g60VXRImVmjV0j-ud6A

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Topics include:
Artist management, music business, sales skills, networking, building relationships, master points, independent artists, music publishing, songwriter share, publisher share, sync, performance royalties, and The Manager’s Playbook.

In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz breaks down the early days of managing Jessie Reyez and the strategy behind her breakout single, “Figures.”

Mauricio shares what made Jessie undeniable from the beginning: her work ethic, voice, authenticity, and the team that helped build the foundation around her. He talks about the role of The Remix Project, Junia-T, Byron Wilson, Dana Meyerson, Spotify relationships, and how “Figures” gained momentum through FADER, Zane Lowe, and New Music Friday.

The conversation also gets into the major label bidding war that followed, why the team chose Island Records, and how doing a publishing deal before the label deal helped create leverage.

This one is for artists, managers, and young music executives trying to understand artist development, rollout strategy, publishing, record deals, and how to build momentum before signing.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/

Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpX71F9JklAmZAEdXsRKA?si=877g60VXRImVmjV0j-ud6A

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook

Topics include:
Jessie Reyez, Mauricio Ruiz, artist management, “Figures,” Spotify New Music Friday, FADER, Zane Lowe, Island Records, publishing deals, major labels, artist development, Toronto music culture, and The Manager’s Playbook.